Some parents unhappy with new Columbia Public Schools COVID-19 rules; district hopes standards keep kids in classroom
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Some Columbia Public School parents say they don't like the district switching back and forth with its mask requirements amid a local and statewide surge in coronavirus cases.
But the district says it hopes the new rules will help keep students out of quarantine and in the classroom.
CPS on Monday updated its mask, contact tracing and quarantine guidelines for the rest of summer school, which ends July 23. Among the changes is that students 11 and younger are now required to wear masks indoors. The district made masks optional before regular classes ended in May.
Scott Halterman, a CPS parent, said going back and forth with COVID-19 guidelines is confusing for children and can affect their mental health.
"It's really confusing to me and it's really confusing to the kids because they've been in summer school for two weeks they haven't had to wear a mask, and all of a sudden they have to wear masks again," Halterman said. "It's a mixed message to me and I don't think they are following the CDC guidelines that say they don't have to wear masks."
John Potter, a CPS parent, said kids should not be required to wear masks because they are not being severely affected by the virus.
CPS teacher Kerri Stith said the new requirements will help keep students in school and out of quarantine.
Students 11 years old and younger are required to wear a mask when indoors and on school busses. For students 12 and up masks are not required but strongly encouraged. Students are not required to wear masks when outdoors.
The district on Monday reported 25 students with coronavirus and another 273 in quarantine because of exposure, including 252 elementary students.
Sara Humm, spokeswoman for the Columbia/Boone County Health Department, said as the delta variant continues to spread, officials recommend people 12 and older wear a mask in public places where they cannot socially distance, regardless of their vaccination status.
On Friday, the school district updated its contact tracing and quarantine guidelines as well. Quarantine is not required for those fully vaccinated who have no symptoms or if the person who is exposed was wearing a mask indoors and has no symptoms.
The district said contact tracing will be done for those not wearing a mask indoors if they are within 3 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period.
The district is encouraging all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine is currently available for anyone 12 and older.
According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, as of Thursday, 4.06 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Since the pandemic started children represented 14.2% of the total cumulated cases. For the week of July 8, children were 22.3% of the reported weekly COVID-19 cases.
